Newsletters

Welcome to our February newsletter.

Issue 61

Welcome to our February newsletter. This month we welcome Dr Keith to our hospitals. We are also now on Instagram and loving all the beautiful pictures being shared of your pets. Please turn over for more information on Storm Phobias.

Save the date for the Delta Dogs Day Out on the 8th April 2018 at Croudace Bay Park.

Stop press

There has been a recent study conducted at Melbourne University seeing if a link exists between feeding raw chicken and polyradiculoneuritis (an inflammatory response that affects nerves from over stimulation of the immune system). The theory is raw chicken can be a good source of Campylobacter bacteria and the immune response to this bacteria maybe the cause of polyradiculoneuritis. A similar study was conducted in the USA a few years ago.

The Melbourne results are showing your pet is 70 times more likely to be more at risk of this rare condition and to therefore choose dry dog food rather than raw chicken until more information comes to light. Many owners use chicken necks and wings for their pets dental hygiene. This is now being challenged with this new information. We are currently recommending beef brisket bones or Oravet chews for dental hygiene. Follow the link to the ABC news report. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-06/raw-chicken-necks-linked-to-rare-dog-paralysis/9399562

“We all need a little Therapy” Dog Walk.

The Lake Veterinary proudly supports Delta Therapy Dogs. The delta dogs walk is on 8th April at Croudace Bay Park.

There will be an Agility Dog Display, lots of fun Dog Competitions with prizes awarded, as well as a huge Raffle and Lucky Envelopes.

Staff Happenings

We welcomed Dr Keith Ross-Anderson to our team in January. Keith is from Newcastle and has returned having studied at University in Adelaide. Keith brings with him a caring and personable nature which makes it easy for your pets to get to know him. Keith has two Scottish Deerhound dogs Nyxx and Peggy who keep him fit and well entertained with their cheeky quirks.

Keith enjoys surfing outside of work always enjoying being in the water and riding a good wave. He looks forward to meeting you and your beloved pet at Charlestown.

Noise Phobias

It is that time of year again when we see stressed dogs due to anxiety episodes associated with fireworks and thunderstorms. Often these occur when owners are absent, which often is associated with separation anxiety.

Affected dogs can do self-harm, escape or create noise nuisance for neighbours. Effective control is difficult, especially if owners are absent. Being aware of your dog’s personality and tendency towards anxious episodes does mean that we can prepare and help these dogs where possible.

Some dogs, along with behaviour management strategies, require medications that work quickly and for a short time for incidental use or long term baseline drugs for the storm season. We also recommend the use of calming pheromones (inhaled hormones) like an Adaptil spray or an Adaptil collar. The spray is put on a bandana which is applied around your dog’s neck and after 30 minutes has a calming effect that last for up to two and a half hours. Alternatively, the collar, which lasts for a month, is left on your dog the whole time for the continual benefit of inhaling the calming pheromone.

Our main concern with stressed anxious dogs is that they can do self-harm either at home or if they escape. However, often these episodes are a symptom of an underlying behavioural disorder that is present all year round and may be better treated with long term therapy, not just occasional therapy. Our resident behaviour consultant Kathy Wilson is more than happy to address any concerns you have in a consultation.

To help your pet it is important to manage phobias before it escalates.

Welcome to all our new kittens and puppies.

We have welcome packs at our hospitals ready to help you in the right direction on your journey with your new bundle of joy. Puppy preschool classes are a great stepping stone in forming your puppies personality and temperament. We also have many anecdotes to share with our kitten owners. Petplan pet insurance are offering your first month free. Insurance can be very helpful easing the burden of costs in emergencies and intensive cases.

Lake Vets now on Instagram

We are now on Instagram which is proving to be a great platform to share a picture of your beloved pet. We have been collecting the photos to make a collage of the pets in our photo gallery to pay tribute to all the pets that make us who we are.

tag us @lakevethospital and use the hashtag #lakevethospitals

Website and Facebook

For regular updates on interesting happenings and cases in the practice, you can follow us on facebook/lakevet

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